MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today
that its
collaboration partner OncoMed Pharmaceuticals has advanced the HuCAL
antibody
OMP-59R5 into the next stage of clinical development. OMP-59R5, which is
part of
OncoMed's Notch pathway collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, is now
being
evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 trial in the US in first-line advanced
pancreatic
cancer patients.

"We are excited to see this innovative HuCAL program advancing into the
next
stage of clinical development. Today's news further underlines that
MorphoSys's
pipeline has matured substantially and is today well balanced with
several
compounds in
mid- to late-stage clinical development," commented Dr. Marlies
Sproll, Chief Scientific Officer of MorphoSys AG. "OMP-59R5 represents the
most
advanced HuCAL-based antibody program targeting a validated cancer stem
cell
pathway. Cancer stem cells potentially offer one of the most attractive
targets
for attacking a range of tumor types, making this program an exciting
addition
to the overall pipeline of HuCAL-based drugs."

In the Phase 1b/2 "ALPINE" trial (Antibody therapy in first-Line
Pancreatic
cancer Investigating anti-Notch Efficacy and safety), OMP-59R5 is being
tested
in combination with gemcitabine in first-line advanced pancreatic
cancer
patients. Following a Phase 1b safety run-in, a randomized Phase 2
clinical
trial will proceed in these patients to compare the efficacy of
standard-of-care
gemcitabine either with OMP-59R5 or with placebo. The primary endpoints
of the
Phase 2 part of the trial will be progression-free survival (PFS) in
OMP-59R5
arms compared to a placebo arm. The two primary endpoints will examine
PFS in
all patients, as well as in patients who have a particular
biomarker. Key
secondary and exploratory endpoints include overall survival, response
rate, and
safety, and these endpoints will be assessed in all patients, as well as
in the
biomarker positive subset of patients.

MorphoSys's clinical pipeline now comprises one program in phase 2/3
clinical
development, nine in phase 2 and eleven in phase 1. Of these,
four are
proprietary, as yet un-partnered programs, namely MOR103, which has
successfully
completed a phase 1b/2a trial in rheumatoid arthritis and a phase 1b
trial in
multiple sclerosis, MOR208, which has completed a phase 1 trial for
chronic
lymphocytic leukemia and MOR202, which is in a phase 1/2a trial for
multiple
myeloma.

About MorphoSys:

MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology
in
the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other
patented
technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic
antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare.
The
company's AbD Serotec unit uses HuCAL and other antibody technologies to
generate superior monoclonal antibodies for research and diagnostic
applications.
Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a
therapeutic
pipeline of more than 70 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment
of
cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few.
With
its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development,
MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow.
MorphoSys is
listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular
updates
about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com

Slonomics® is a registered trademark of Sloning BioTechnology
GmbH, a
subsidiary of MorphoSys AG.

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements
concerning the
MorphoSys group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained
herein
represent the judgment of MorphoSys as of the date of this release and
involve
risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the
Company's
assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those
anticipated.
MorphoSys does not intend to update any of these forward-looking
statements as
far as the wording of the relevant press release is concerned.